the surge in introduction of battery electric vehicles as the government is providing tax exemption for a few years, we’ve been seeing a number of brands from China coming into the Malaysian market. It coincides with the increased export activity by the Chinese companies in recent years, particularly with EVs as the country has the largest market in the world.
The ATTO 3 is one of BYD’s many models, all of which are electrified now . In China, the ATTO 3 is known as the Yuan, one of the models in the range named after a dynasty in the country’s history. The first generation was launched in 2015 and the second generation came out last year, which is the model we are getting.
As BEVs do not need the traditional cooling through the front end, the ‘grille’ area is closed off for better aerodynamics. Slim LED headlights with a distinct visual signature formed by the DRLs flank the grille. At the rear, the presentation follows current trends with a full-width light strip. An interesting touch is the textured finish on the C-pillar .
The AC charger that is on-board can accept household supply and if used, the charging to from 0 to 100% is said to be up to 28 hours. If you are in a hurry, it’s useful to note that each hour of charging can provide 10 kms of range for the EV. The instrument panel, for example, has been shrunk to the size of a small tablet – quite a change from the larger display panels drivers would be used to. The small size of the instrument panel makes the centre display panel look huge and it is 12.8 inches.